By Ajarn Helen Jandamit
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
University Tips is here to help you prepare for the English exams and tests that are coming your way. It gives you practise answering questions similar to those you may have at school and also on the University Entrance Examination.
Read the following story from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
As Thailand prepares for the opening of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) next year, Thai Premier League team Suphanburi FC has unveiled a unique initiative to prepare students across the province’s 32 schools for the 600 million-strong AEC with one official language — English.
“We are delighted that it is Suphanburi FC, a provincial football club, who lead the charge rather than one based in Bangkok,” Suphanburi FC president Varawut Silpa-archa said.
After spending many years in England, he knows the importance of equipping the people of his province with the language of business, communication and football.
“We are delighted that our first partner school, Sa-nguan Ying, is a girls’ school,” Varawut said. “We open up all the resources of Suphanburi FC to our future captains of industry, role models and ASEAN leaders.”
Varawut said that initially 35 students of different English abilities, from new learners to high-flying members of the school’s intensive English programme, will select key club tasks such as writing English match day programme articles, interviewing players and staff, or preparing to be match announcers.
“The only requirements are drive, enthusiasm and determination to improve,” he said.
Overseeing the programme are two club ambassadors who are fluent in English.
“They will take care of our VIP guests and be the faces of our whole programme,” Varawut said.
Exercises
Section 1
Read through the story. Then, answer the following multiple choice questions.
1. How many schools are there in Suphanburi province?
a. 600 million.
b. 32.
c. 35.
2. How many people are there in the ASEAN Economic Community?
a. 600 million.
b. 35 million.
c. 32 million.
3. Who is the president of Suphanburi FC?
a. Sa-nguan Ying.
b. Varawut Silpa-archa.
c. The story does not say.
4. What is the official language of the ASEAN Economic Community, according to the article?
a. Thai.
b. Korean.
c. English.
5. What will students from Sa-nguan Ying School do as part of the Suphanburi initiative?
a. They will write English match day programme articles.
b. They will prepare to be match announcers as well as will interview players and staff.
c. Both a and b.
6. What will 35 Sa-nguan Ying School students initially do?
a. Become ASEAN leaders.
b. Learn English.
c. Chose important club tasks.
7. What is Suphanburi FC?
a. A football club.
b. An ASEAN organisation.
c. An English language school.
8. When will the ASEAN Economic Community open?
a. Next year.
b. In 2020.
c. The story does not say.
Section 2
Read through the story again. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
9. Suphanburi FC is a futsal club.
……………………….
10. AEC stands for American Economic Community.
……………………….
11. Sa-nguan Ying is a single-sex school.
……………………….
12. According to the story, two club ambassadors who are fluent in English will oversee the programme.
……………………….
Section 3
Read the following sentences and underline the grammatically correct words from the choices given.
13. The requirements are good health, enthuse/enthusiasm/enthusiastic and creativity.
14. They are assigned to take care of/for/with special guests.
15. After spend/spending/spends many years in England, he knows a lot about British football.
16. Three officials who/which/whose are fluent in English will be in charge of the project.
Section 4
There is one misspelled word in each of the following sentences. Underline the misspelled word in each and write down the correct spelling in the space provided.
17. We are very happy that the provincial football club Suphanburi FC, rather than a Bangkok club, was the first to work with schools to help students learm English.
…………………………………………………
18. Suphanburi is going to help studetns learn English.
…………………………………………………
19. We are delightend that a girl’s school is our first partner school.
…………………………………………………
20. In order to join this programme, you just need to be energetics, enthusiastic and determined to improve.
…………………………………………………
Section 5
Match each of the following words with the definitions that best suit how the words are used in the article.
21. drive
a. the energy and determination that makes you try hard to achieve something
b. a journey in a car
c. to operate a vehicle so that it goes in a particular direction
22. initiative
a. a new plan for dealing with a particular problem or for achieving a particular purpose
b. the ability to act and decide on your own without waiting for somebody to tell you what to do
c. the power or opportunity to act and gain an advantage
23. key
a. any of the buttons that you press to operate a computer
b. a small piece of metal used for opening or locking a door
c. most important
24. intensive
a. special care in a hospital for critically sick patients
b. involving a lot of work or activity done in a short time
c. aimed at producing as much food as possible using as little land as possible
Vocabulary
- sporting (adj): fair and generous
delighted (adj): very pleased
high-flying (adj): very successful
enthusiasm (n): a strong feeling of excitement and interest in something and a desire to become involved in it
